Steam-trap.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908. J. GOLLIS. ,STEAM TRAP. 4 APPLIGAIION FILED SEPT. 4. 1906.

. eases err-arse nap JOHN OOLLIS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO 'lVlONASH-YOUNKER COMPANY, OF

' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF-ILLINOIS.

srnar 'iear.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1908 Application filedSeptember 4, 190B. Serial No. 333,089.

To'aZZ whom it may come Be it known that I, JOHN OoLLis, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam Traps, of which the 'following is a i specificat on. r

My invention relates to improvements in steam traps and is fully explained and described in this specification-and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which i Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through my improved device Fig, 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2, 2 Fig. 1 looking downwards, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on theline 3, 3 of Fig. 1 looking downwards.

Referring to the drawings,-A is a suitable hollow casing adapted to be connected by a union, or otherwise with a pipe a, which in practice is connected to one of 'the turns of a steam radiator or to such other portion of a steam carrying system as it is desired to relieve from the water of condensation and from air. This casing A is perforated at A the perforation being beveled out at its upper end to provide a valve-seat 0).

any air or water condensationwithin. the

' casing A can pass out through the perforations A from the system. The casing A is constricted at its upper end to form a guide for a brass or other metal tube B, which tube extends from a point slightly above the upper end of the said casing as illustrated. The

casing is continued upwards by means of a tube C. screwed up over the upper end of the casing A, Within the upper end of the tube C is a block B centrally perforated at b and having enlarged openings at b at its lower end, into which the upper end of the tube B is driven. The block B is prevented from downward movement with respect to the "extreme movement with respect thereto by Obviously vhen the perforation is open, as in Fig; 1,

means of a spring 1), one endof which is secured to the upper end ofthe pencil and the other end of which is secured to the block B' By means of this spring the expansible pencil D is cushioned, so that in case of extreme expansion, under heat, it will not be crushed by the undue pressure and the pencil is also drawnback to position after it has expanded, being thus held normally in the position shown in Fig. 1. I

The upper end of the tube C supports an air-valve casing E, to which the contents of thecasing A have access through perforations e. This air-.valve casing contains a float F, beneath which is a vertical tube G having inwardly extending radial ribs 9, and ribs B, and an expansible pencil H lying within this tube' By this arrangement an influx of the water will raise the float F, while an influx of steam will raise the temperature of the expansible pencil H to the end that the float is also raised. The float F carries, at its upper end, a valve point F thatwill cooperate With a valve seat (1 situated in the upper end of theair-valve casing E. An opening from the air-valve chamber E extends upward intoa diaphragm chamber I the upper surface of whichis formed by a flexible diaphragm 1 having a central perforation and valve seat i; Within the diaphragm chamber is a double tip ed valvefitting J, which normally closes tie opening from the air-valve casing E and which closes the opening i when, for any reason, the diaphragm is drawn down. Thediaphragm is protected from injury by means of a flat cover K having a central. perforation k for the escape of gas.

At the lower end of the casing A is mounted a chcclevalve fitting L, in which is supported avalve Z which is normally held upwards by means of a very light spring The operation of my improved device is,

substantially as follows: With a return pipe gravity system the lower end of the casing is connected with the return pipe and the through the nipple ct. When the system is first started after a long period of disuse, the water and air in the radiators alone enter the devicefor a considerable period, these substances sometimes enterlng together and sometlmes in succession.

The air upon entering the device will: rise and eventually steam, air and water of condensation pass in at the lower end theigeol', it is prevented fronr flowing from the top by means of the float which will raise and close the valve, holding the water within the device until it has time to flow out at the bottom. in the proper way. Upon the entrance of steam to the device the expansible pencils are heated and expand,

and thereupon the 0 ening at the lower end of the casing A and t 1e opening at the upper end of the air valve casing E are closed, thus preventing the escape of any steam whate'ver.

Upon the cooling oi the pipes of the system, such as occurs at night whenthe fire is banked, the condensation of the steam causes a partial vacuum, the effect of which is to draw down the valve J and to draw up the valve Z, thus maintaining the vacuum continuously. The opening in the diaphrafgin l is very small and in case of any considerable leakage around thelowercnd of the valve fitting J the diaphragm will be drawn down, thus insuring a double obstruction between the atmosphere and the pressure vacuum in the heating system. This maintenance of the pressure vacuum insures a continued production of steam, even though the temperature of the water in the boiler lalls considerably below: the boilingpoint of water at atmospheric pressure. The diaphfagm is prevented from distortion by ribs z with which it contacts. A further advantage arises by reason of the fact that when the steam is cut oil from the radiator, to which my improved device is applied, the vacuum which is instantly formed by the condensation oi the steam, is preserved by means of the valves, described, so as to prevent not only the entrance ol air to the radiator l'or a considerable period of time, but to prevent any water of coiulensatiou in the return pipe from being sucked bacl-t into the radiator as often happens. Thus when steam is rcadmitlcd the unpleasant hank nicring noise is to a large extent eliminated. Fiutbormorc, with my iui rovcd device the steam has free access at all times to the ex pansiblo pencils so as to produce the maximum expansion in the minimum time, and attire same time the pencils are prevented from buckling by means of ribs if and g. Furthermore, the pencils can he removed at any time by removing the tubes in which comes they are supported and pushing them or pulling them from place.

In case it is desired to use my improved device on a vacuum system supplied with a pump, the air-valve, obviously, becomes unnecessary and can be removed, the top of the tube C being closed by a tight cap.

l/Vhat I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

. 1. Ina steam trap, a tube having inwardly projecting ribs, an ex ansible pencil centered and held in position y said ribs, and an exhaust valve adapted to be closed by the expansion of said pencil.

2. In a steam trap, a casing having an exhaust opening, a tube mounted within the same having lnwardly extending ribs, an expansible pencil centered and held in place between said ribs and a suitable tip movable by the expansion of said pencil to close the exhaust opening in the casing.

3. The combination with a casing having a perforation at its lower end, of an expansible device adapted to control said perforation, an air valve chamber above said casing and having communication therewith, a passage leading from said chamber to the atmosphere, a valve controlling said passage, and thermostatically and float-operated means for closing said valve.

4. The combination with a casing having a perforation at its lower end, of an cxpansiblc device adapted to control said perforation,

an air valve chamber above said casing-and having communication therewith, a passage leading from said chamber to the atmos phcre, a valve controlling said passage, thormostatically and float-operated means for closing said valve, and devices for preventing the return of lluid to the air-valve or through the lower perforation of the trap.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing having a pin-foration loading therefrom, float and LllQllllOSttIticel y-coi'itrollcd means ,or closing said perforation, a valve adapted to prevent the return of vapor through said perforations to the casing, a diaphragm beyond said valve provided with a suitable perforation adapted to coi'ipcrate with the valve and become closed thereby when the diaihragm is retractcd, and a series oi ribs adapted to support and prevent the distortion of the diapl'u'agin when retracted.

JOHN COLLIS.

in the presence ol? J; H. LANDES,

(J. W. Wasnn URNE. 

